Liner hanger



A ril 4, 1944. a H SCOTT 2,345,888

LINER. HANGER Filed Dec. 29, 1941 1 'wfl 6 i INVENTQH Patented Apr. 4, 1944 LINER HANGER Beverly H. Scott, Maywood, CaliL, assignor to Lane-Wells Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application December 29, 1941, Serial No. 424,805

6 Claims.

My invention relates to liner hangers; that is, to devices adapted to suspend from a well casing a perforated screen or liner which continues from the well easing into the uncased producing zone below. Among the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a liner hanger which incorporates a swivel connection whereby the liner and liner hanger may be rotated relative to each other to permit manipulation of the liner hanger in order to set or secure the liner hanger in position in the casing, even though the liner may be stuck or frozen;

Second, to provide a liner hanger which is particularly designed to permit washing or cleaning of the well by circulation of a washing fluid around the liner, all before the liner hanger is set; and

Third, to provide a liner hanger which is particularly compact, comprises few parts and is economically manufactured.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of my liner hanger shown attached to a liner;

Figure 2 is a partial elevational, partial longitudinal sectional View taken substantially through 22 of Figure 1, showing the parts of the liner hanger in the positions assumed when the liner hanger is in engagement with a surrounding well casing; and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through 3-3 of Figure 1.

The liner hanger is provided at its upper end with an adaptor fitting I having, preferably, lefthand threads for separable attachment to a tubing string (not shown). The lower end of the adaptor fitting I is screw-threaded to a swivel shell 2. A tubular mandrel 3 telescopes into the lower end of the swivel shell 2 and is provided with an external swivel flange 4 at its upper end, which is adapted to ride upon an internal swivel flange 5 provided within the shell 2.

The swivel shell 2 is screw-threaded to a sleeve 6 which extends downwardly over the mandrel 3 and is provided at its lower end with a downwardly converging cone member I, which may be integral with the sleeve 6 or suitably attached thereto. The cone is adapted to coact with slips 8. These slips are wedge-shaped in cross section and provided with wickers or teeth. The slips 8 are mounted at the upper ends of reins 9 in the form of straps which extend downwardly and are secured to a lower collar I0 journaled around the mandrel 3.

Also secured to the lower collar II] are several friction springs II in the form of leaf springs which extend upwardly between the slips 8 and are secured at their upper ends toan upper collar l2. The upper collar I2 isprovided with one or more keeper hooks 14 which coact with pins l5 provided in the sleeve 6.

The lower end of the mandrel 3 is joined to a liner A and the slips when moved upwardly on the cone 1 are adapted to engage a surrounding well casing B, indicated iragmentarily in Figure 2, and shown in transverse section in Figure 3.

Operation of my liner hanger is as follows: The liner hanger is attached to the liner and to a tubing string (not shown). The liner, liner hanger and tubing string are lowered into a well bore with the parts of the liner hanger occupying the positions shown in Figure 1. When the desired level is reached the tubing string is rotated in a direction to unlatch the keeper hooks M from the pins IS. The friction springs H, by

' reason of their engagement with the surrounding casing, hold the collars and slips against rotation. After the keeper hooks and pins are free, weight is applied to the liner, which forces the cone between the slips so as to expand the slips against the casing as shown in Figure 2. By reason of the swivel connection between the m d and shell the liner hanger may be latched or unlatched, and set or released, without requiring rotation of the mandrel or liner. Fur- P thermore, sufiicient axial clearance is provided between the upper end of the mandrel 3 and the adaptor fitting I to permit the necessary downward movement of the cone in order to set the slips. Thus, even though the liner hanger is frozen to the extent that it cannot be moved longitudinally or rotated, the liner hanger may be manipulated as desired to set or release.

Various changes and alternate arrangements may be made within the scope of the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention.

I claim: 7

1. A liner hanger comprising: a swivel joint, one part thereof connected with a tubing string and the other part suspending a liner; a sleeve connected to said one part and extending downwardly over said other part; a slip expander carried by said sleeve; and slips for coaction with said slip expander.

2. A liner hanger comprising: a swivel Joint,

one part thereof connected with a tubing string and the other part suspending a liner; a sleeve connected to said one part and extending downwardly over said other part; a friction cage engageable with a surrounding casing journaled on said sleeve and extending downwardly therefrom over said slip expander; and slips carried between the extremities of said cage and adapted to coact with said slip expander.

3. A liner hanger comprising: a swivel joint one part thereof connected with a tubing string and the other part suspending a liner; a sleeve connected to said one part and extending downwardly over said other part; a friction ca e en: gageable with a surrounding, casing icurnaled on said sleeve and extending downwardly therefrom over said slip expander; slips carried between the extremities of said cage and adapted to co-act with said slip expander; and latch means incorporating said cage and sleeve for releasably holding said cage in .a position to restrain coaction between said slips and said slip expander.

4. A liner hanger comprising: means adapted to be suspended trom a tubing string; a :slip expander on the lower extremity of said means; a mandrel telescoping within said means and adapted to suspend a liner; a slidable and rotatable connection between said mandrel and means; slips adapted to coact with said -slip expander; and a latching device including an element carried by said means above said slip expander for restraining said slips, and a coacting element connected with said slips and said firstmentioned element.

5. A liner hanger comprising: means adaptable to be suspended from a, tubing string; a slip expander onthe lower extremity of said means; a m ndrel telescopi W th n ai m an a l able and rotatable connection between said mandrel and means; slips adapted to coact with said slip expander; a friction cage extending over said slip expander and journaled on said means above said slip expander and said mandrel below said slip expander; and slips carried by said page intermediate its ends for coaction with said slip expander.

6. A liner hanger comprising: means adaptable to be suspended from a tubing string; a slip expander on the lower extremity of said means; a mandrel telescoping within said means; a slidable and rotatable connection between said mandrel and means; .slips adapted to coast with said slip expander; a irictitrn cage extending over said slip expander and iournale 1 sa d;

means above said slip expander and said mandrel below said slip expander; slips carried by said cage intermediate its ends for coaction with said slip expander; and a a ch n de ce ncluding elements on sa d e a d s d m ans 30 for restraining said PS- BE ERLY SCOTT. 

